Window latch



April 11, 1939.

E. H. NABHAM WINDOW LATCH Filed June 28, 1938 ""HHHHIIII' 1 Mlm. 11111.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 11, 1939 l UNITED NSTATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to window sash latches, and aims to provide a positively operating locking means which should be jimmy-proof and otherwise entirely safe from being opened from the outside.

The above and other objects will become apparent in the description below, in which similar characters of reference refer to like-named parts in the accompanying drawing.

Referring briefly to the drawing,

Figure 1 is a front elevational View of a window, illustrating the application of the latch.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan View of the latch per se partly in section, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional View, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 3.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral Ill represents a roof-like housing secured by means of ears I| to the top ledge of the lower window sash I2. On the bottom ledge of the upper sash |3, a keeper |4 is similarly secured.

The front wall I 5 of the housing I0 is provided with an opening o-r slot I6 near the top thereof,

and the rear wall I1 is likewise provided with a wider opening or slot I8 intermediate its height. A bolt |9 is freely movable, both longitudinally and vertically, through the opening I8, and on its end which protrudes from the housing an upwardly turned hook 20 is formed. On its end within the housing, the bolt I9 has an upwardly turned tongue 2| which is adapted to frictionally contact the roof of the housing. A stud 22 secured to the tongue 2|, extends forward through the opening I6, and has its end a handle or grip 23. The stud 22 is freely movable, longitudinally 40 and vertically, in the opening I6. It is to be noted that the bolt and its aligned stud both extend angularly upward from the rear toward the front.

On each side of the bolt I9, a stern 24 is anchored at its rear end in the wall I1 in the fashion of a rivet, in such position that it also extends angularly upward toward the front at the substantially same angle as the bolt I9. Ears 25 extend from the sides of the tongue 2 I, and the forward ends of the pins 24 extend slidably through openings 21 through the ears 25. The openings 21 are ofa sufliciently greater diameter than the pins 24 to permit vertical movement (Figure 5) of the pins 24 within the openings 21. These pins have heads 26 on their forward ends to serve as limit stops with respect to longitudinal movement therealong of the ears 25. Each pin 24 is surrounded, between its ear 25 and the rear wall I1, by a helical expansion spring 28 which normally urges the ears 25, and hence the tongue 2|, stud 22 and handle 23, forward. Be cause of the upward inclination of the pins 24 in a forward direction, the normal position of the tongue 2| is to lie frictionally against the roof of the hou-sing and that of the stud 22 is to lie against the lower edge of the opening I6.

Figures 3 and 4 show the latch in extended operative position. To release the latch, the handle 23 is pushed upward. As this is done, the top edge of the tongue 2| will first strike the roof of the housing, and will then serve as a pivot about which the stud 22 rises further and about which the rear end of the bolt I9, and hence the hook 2B, are depressed, until the hook 29 has been lowered to a position clear of the keeper I 4. Then the handle 23 is released, and the pressure of the springs 28 will force the bolt I9, and all of the above-mentioned parts rigid therewith, forward until the ears 25 reach the pin heads 26, which will occur at the same time as the hook 20 has reached the Space between the rear wall |1 and the keeper I4. The springs 28 therefore serve to retain the bolt I9 in unlatched position. When it is desired to latch the window, the handle 23 is simply pushed home toward the rear', and when in its extreme position, in which the hook 20 will have gone beyond the keeper I4, the handle is depressed, thus raising the hook 20 into its maximum elevated position, and the handle is released. The springs 28 then again urge the bolt .-,r

forward, but since the hook 26 is now on a level to engage the keeper in its forward travel, it will be stopped by the keeper in the position shown in Figure 4, and the springs 28 will serve to retain the bolt in extended and latched position. It is obvious from the above that the bolt in latched position will be secured against tampering, and that the operation of the device to latch or unlatch a window is simple and speedy.

Obviously, modifications in form and structure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

A window latch comprising a housing and having an opening in its front wall and opening in its rear'wall, a bolt slidably mounted therein at an angle to the horizontal, said bolt passing through said openings, said openings being relatively large to permit vertical movement of said bolt therein, a tongue on said bolt intermediate its length within said housing and extending upward toward the roof of the housing, guide pins secured in the rear wall of said housing and extending forward therein at substantially the same angle as said bolt, ears on said tongue having openings therethrough, said pins passing through said openings, coiled expansion springs surrounding said pins between said rear wall and said ears, heads on the free ends of said pins within the housing, said boit having an upturned hook on its rear end for engaging a keeper Icmnprising an inverted U-shaped member, said hook engaging the rear of said keeper in latched position and bolt and said hook thereon forward to a position 10 clear of said keeper.

ELIAS H. NABHAM. 

